MovieMantz: ‘Face it, Tiger! Spidey’s a Free Man!’

In the world of everybody’s favorite web-slinger, the amazing Spider-Man and his red-headed bombshell Mary Jane Watson go hand-in-hand like, well, Superman and Lois Lane. They’re the loves of each other’s lives, and you really can’t think of one without thinking of the other.

That’s why it was shocking to hear the early reports (including The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision blog) that Mary Jane will not be the love interest in director Marc Webb’s upcoming “Spider-Man” reboot. That means Spidey will be a real swinger, and he’ll have the pick of the litter when it comes to a list of potential girlfriends.

Then again, that’s a pretty short list, since Parker was never really known as a ladies man. So based on Spidey’s nearly 50-year comic book legacy, here’s a list of potential candidates, unless the filmmaker decide to introduce an all-new character (which, given all the secrecy, is entirely possible).

The Spectacular Spider-Girl: Gwen Stacy
First Appearance: “The Amazing Spider-Man #31” (1965)
A Good Match: Peter and Mary Jane were always meant to be in the long run, but blonde-haired Gwen Stacy was Parker’s first long-term girlfriend. They had a passionate affair, until her untimely death at the hands of the Green Goblin in the landmark comic “Amazing Spider-Man #121” in 1973. Though she was played on the big screen by Bryce Dallas Howard in 2007’s “Spider-Man 3,” it was an under-written role in a movie that most fans would rather forget. The reboot could right that wrong by doing their relationship justice.
Web-o-meter Likelihood: 9

The Spectacular Spider-Girl: Betty Brant
First Appearance: “The Amazing Spider-Man #4” (1963)
A Good Match: Brant was the hard-working assistant to loudmouthed publisher J. Jonah Jameson at the Daily Bugle, where Parker also worked as a photographer. They had a brief relationship, until Brant eventually married Bugle reporter Ned Leeds (who went on to become the villain the Hobgoblin). Brant was played in all three “Spider-Man” movies by Elizabeth Banks, but the role was so underutilized, she’d make a welcome love interest in the reboot.
Web-o-meter Likelihood: 6

The Spectacular Spider-Girl: Felicia Hardy (a.k.a. The Black Cat)
First Appearance: “The Amazing Spider-Man #194” (1979)
A Good Match: Hardy was a reformed cat burglar who fell hard for Peter Parker – make that Spider-Man, since she was actually repulsed by the sight of plain-old Parker when he revealed his true identity to her (she asked him to put his mask back on!). Hardy eventually became a crime-fighter, so her agility and fighting skills could come in handy during the action scenes in the reboot.
Web-o-meter Likelihood: 8

The Spectacular Spider-Girl: Liz Allen
First Appearance: “The Amazing Spider-Man #4” (1963)
A Good Match: Going back to Spidey’s earliest days, Parker had a crush on Liz Allen while in high school. The problem was that Allen was dating Flash Thompson, who was a bona-fide bully to Parker. When Allen finally did show interest in Parker, she had to compete with Betty Brant. Eventually, Allen married Parker’s college roommate Harry Osborn, who was the son of the original Green Goblin (and briefly became the Goblin himself). Though she had a hard life, Allen was a pretty boring character, which makes her the longest shot on this list.
Web-o-meter Likelihood: 3